BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca saved two match points in defeating Mariano Navone at the Argentina Open on Friday to become the youngest ATP clay-court semifinalist since Carlos Alcaraz four years ago.
The 18-year-old came through 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 over home favourite Navone to reach his first tour-level semifinal.
Fonseca twice rallied from a break down in the second set and saved two match points late in the third, before sealing a two-hour, 53-minute victory.
“Those are the victories that we work for,” said Fonseca, who is the youngest semi-finalist on clay since Alcaraz at Umag in 2021.
“I was not playing my best and I fought until the end. Since the beginning I was believing I could win, even if I wasn’t playing my best, but I fought and now I’m in the semifinals.”
The 99th-ranked Fonseca, who was crowned the ATP’s NextGen champion last season and started 2025 by stunning top-10 player Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open, will face Serb qualifier Laslo Djere for a place in the final.
Djere defeated Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to reach his 20th tour semifinal.